David M. Malone
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780199278572
- eISBN:
- 9780191604119
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199278571.003.0009
- Subject:
- Political Science, International Relations and Politics
This chapter focuses on the instrumental approach of all five permanent members to the Council as a resource for their own purposes, in effect their instrumental multilateralism. It addresses ...
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This chapter focuses on the instrumental approach of all five permanent members to the Council as a resource for their own purposes, in effect their instrumental multilateralism. It addresses conceptions of legality, legitimacy, representation, and democracy in the Council, seeking to draw lessons from the Council’s drift into decision-making in a legal-regulatory (rather than politico-military) mode, not least with respect to accountability. It also examines some of the challenges the UN and its Member States face when attempting peacebuilding, perhaps better thought of as (responsible) state-building.Less
This chapter focuses on the instrumental approach of all five permanent members to the Council as a resource for their own purposes, in effect their instrumental multilateralism. It addresses conceptions of legality, legitimacy, representation, and democracy in the Council, seeking to draw lessons from the Council’s drift into decision-making in a legal-regulatory (rather than politico-military) mode, not least with respect to accountability. It also examines some of the challenges the UN and its Member States face when attempting peacebuilding, perhaps better thought of as (responsible) state-building.
Thorsten Benner, Stephan Mergenthaler, and Philipp Rotmann
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199594887
- eISBN:
- 9780191729065
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199594887.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, International Relations and Politics
Peace operations are the UN's flagship activity. Over the past decade, UN blue helmets have been dispatched to evermore challenging environments from the Congo to Timor to perform an expanding set of ...
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Peace operations are the UN's flagship activity. Over the past decade, UN blue helmets have been dispatched to evermore challenging environments from the Congo to Timor to perform an expanding set of tasks. From protecting civilians in the midst of violent conflict to rebuilding state institutions after war, a new range of tasks has transformed the business of the blue helmets into an inherently knowledge-based venture. But all too often, the UN blue helmets, policemen, and other civilian officials have been ‘flying blind’ in their efforts to stabilize countries ravaged by war. The UN realized the need to put knowledge, guidance and doctrine, and reflection on failures and successes at the center of the institution. Building on an innovative multidisciplinary framework, this study provides a first comprehensive account of learning in peacekeeping. Covering the crucial past decade of expansion in peace operations, it zooms into a dozen cases of attempted learning across four crucial domains: police assistance, judicial reform, reintegration of former combatants, and mission integration. Throughout the different cases, the study analyzes the role of key variables as enablers and stumbling blocks for learning: bureaucratic politics, the learning infrastructure, leadership, as well as power and interests of member states. Building on five years of research and access to key documents and decision-makers, the book presents a vivid portrait of an international bureaucracy struggling to turn itself into a learning organization.Less
Peace operations are the UN's flagship activity. Over the past decade, UN blue helmets have been dispatched to evermore challenging environments from the Congo to Timor to perform an expanding set of tasks. From protecting civilians in the midst of violent conflict to rebuilding state institutions after war, a new range of tasks has transformed the business of the blue helmets into an inherently knowledge-based venture. But all too often, the UN blue helmets, policemen, and other civilian officials have been ‘flying blind’ in their efforts to stabilize countries ravaged by war. The UN realized the need to put knowledge, guidance and doctrine, and reflection on failures and successes at the center of the institution. Building on an innovative multidisciplinary framework, this study provides a first comprehensive account of learning in peacekeeping. Covering the crucial past decade of expansion in peace operations, it zooms into a dozen cases of attempted learning across four crucial domains: police assistance, judicial reform, reintegration of former combatants, and mission integration. Throughout the different cases, the study analyzes the role of key variables as enablers and stumbling blocks for learning: bureaucratic politics, the learning infrastructure, leadership, as well as power and interests of member states. Building on five years of research and access to key documents and decision-makers, the book presents a vivid portrait of an international bureaucracy struggling to turn itself into a learning organization.
S. E. Finer
- Published in print:
- 1999
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198207900
- eISBN:
- 9780191677854
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198207900.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, World Medieval History
No one has hitherto had the breadth of imagination and intellectual boldness to describe and analyse government throughout recorded history and throughout the world. Ranging over 5,000 years, from ...
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No one has hitherto had the breadth of imagination and intellectual boldness to describe and analyse government throughout recorded history and throughout the world. Ranging over 5,000 years, from the Sumerian city state to the modern European nation state, five themes emerge in this book: state-building, military formats, belief systems, social stratification, and timespan. The three volumes examine both representative and exceptional polities, and focus on political elites of different types. This text is the second volume and it analyses the ‘church’ politics of the Byzantine Empire and the Caliphate; the evolution of the T'ang and Ming Empires in China; the characteristics of feudal Europe, the ‘republican alternatives’ of Florence and Venice, and finally the growth of representative assemblies across Europe.Less
No one has hitherto had the breadth of imagination and intellectual boldness to describe and analyse government throughout recorded history and throughout the world. Ranging over 5,000 years, from the Sumerian city state to the modern European nation state, five themes emerge in this book: state-building, military formats, belief systems, social stratification, and timespan. The three volumes examine both representative and exceptional polities, and focus on political elites of different types. This text is the second volume and it analyses the ‘church’ politics of the Byzantine Empire and the Caliphate; the evolution of the T'ang and Ming Empires in China; the characteristics of feudal Europe, the ‘republican alternatives’ of Florence and Venice, and finally the growth of representative assemblies across Europe.
Simon Chesterman
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- April 2004
- ISBN:
- 9780199263486
- eISBN:
- 9780191600999
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199263485.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, International Relations and Politics
Transitional administrations represent the most complex operations attempted by the United Nations. The missions in Kosovo (1999—) and East Timor (1999–2002) are commonly seen as unique in the ...
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Transitional administrations represent the most complex operations attempted by the United Nations. The missions in Kosovo (1999—) and East Timor (1999–2002) are commonly seen as unique in the history of the United Nations. But they may also be seen as the latest in a series of operations that have involved the United Nations in ‘state‐building’ activities, in which it has attempted to develop the institutions of government by assuming some or all of those sovereign powers on a temporary basis. Viewed in light of earlier UN operations, such as those in Namibia (1989–1990), Cambodia (1992–1993), and Eastern Slavonia (1996–1998), the idea that these exceptional circumstances may not recur is somewhat disingenuous. The need for policy research in this area was brought into sharp focus by the weighty but vague responsibilities assigned to the United Nations in Afghanistan (2002—) and its contested role in Iraq (2003—).This book seeks to fill that gap. Aimed at policy‐makers, diplomats, and a wide academic audience (including international relations, political science, international law, war studies, and development studies), the book provides a concise history of transitional administration and a treatment of the five key issues confronting such operations: peace and security, the role of the United Nations as government, establishing the rule of law, economic reconstruction, and exit strategies. Research for the book has been conducted through extensive field research and interviews with key UN staff and local representatives in almost all of the territories under consideration. The unifying theme is that, while the ends of transitional administration may be idealistic, the means cannot be.Less
Transitional administrations represent the most complex operations attempted by the United Nations. The missions in Kosovo (1999—) and East Timor (1999–2002) are commonly seen as unique in the history of the United Nations. But they may also be seen as the latest in a series of operations that have involved the United Nations in ‘state‐building’ activities, in which it has attempted to develop the institutions of government by assuming some or all of those sovereign powers on a temporary basis. Viewed in light of earlier UN operations, such as those in Namibia (1989–1990), Cambodia (1992–1993), and Eastern Slavonia (1996–1998), the idea that these exceptional circumstances may not recur is somewhat disingenuous. The need for policy research in this area was brought into sharp focus by the weighty but vague responsibilities assigned to the United Nations in Afghanistan (2002—) and its contested role in Iraq (2003—).
This book seeks to fill that gap. Aimed at policy‐makers, diplomats, and a wide academic audience (including international relations, political science, international law, war studies, and development studies), the book provides a concise history of transitional administration and a treatment of the five key issues confronting such operations: peace and security, the role of the United Nations as government, establishing the rule of law, economic reconstruction, and exit strategies. Research for the book has been conducted through extensive field research and interviews with key UN staff and local representatives in almost all of the territories under consideration. The unifying theme is that, while the ends of transitional administration may be idealistic, the means cannot be.
You‐tien Hsing
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199568048
- eISBN:
- 9780191721632
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199568048.003.0005
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Political Economy
Chapter 4 shifts the geographical focus to the urban edge of metropolitan centers, and from urban to rural land. It outlines the land battles between expansionist urban ...
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Chapter 4 shifts the geographical focus to the urban edge of metropolitan centers, and from urban to rural land. It outlines the land battles between expansionist urban governments at the municipal and district levels and rural governments at the county and township levels. The struggle between urban and rural governments is set in the historical shift in which industrialism has largely given way to urbanism since the late 1990s. Drawing on the changing political discourse, urban governments have moved to incorporate scattered industrial estates formerly controlled by rural governments. As a result, the urban fringe becomes a primary site of capital accumulation, territorial expansion, and consolidation vital to urban governments' local state‐building projects. The urban government's logic of property‐based accumulation and territorial expansion builds on itself and finds expression in massive‐scale mega projects like “new cities” and “university cities” built on former village land in the outskirts of the city.Less
Chapter 4 shifts the geographical focus to the urban edge of metropolitan centers, and from urban to rural land. It outlines the land battles between expansionist urban governments at the municipal and district levels and rural governments at the county and township levels. The struggle between urban and rural governments is set in the historical shift in which industrialism has largely given way to urbanism since the late 1990s. Drawing on the changing political discourse, urban governments have moved to incorporate scattered industrial estates formerly controlled by rural governments. As a result, the urban fringe becomes a primary site of capital accumulation, territorial expansion, and consolidation vital to urban governments' local state‐building projects. The urban government's logic of property‐based accumulation and territorial expansion builds on itself and finds expression in massive‐scale mega projects like “new cities” and “university cities” built on former village land in the outskirts of the city.
Jennifer M. Welsh (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- April 2004
- ISBN:
- 9780199267217
- eISBN:
- 9780191601118
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199267219.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, International Relations and Politics
The issue of humanitarian intervention has generated one of the most heated debates in international relations over the past decade, for both theorists and practitioners. At its heart is the alleged ...
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The issue of humanitarian intervention has generated one of the most heated debates in international relations over the past decade, for both theorists and practitioners. At its heart is the alleged tension between the principle of state sovereignty, and the evolving norms related to individual human rights. This edited collection examines the challenges to international society posed by humanitarian intervention in a post-September 11th world. It brings scholars of law, philosophy, and international relations together with those who have actively engaged in cases of intervention, in order to examine the legitimacy and consequences of the use of military force for humanitarian purposes. The book demonstrates why humanitarian intervention continues to be a controversial question not only for the United Nations but also for Western states and humanitarian organisations.Less
The issue of humanitarian intervention has generated one of the most heated debates in international relations over the past decade, for both theorists and practitioners. At its heart is the alleged tension between the principle of state sovereignty, and the evolving norms related to individual human rights. This edited collection examines the challenges to international society posed by humanitarian intervention in a post-September 11th world. It brings scholars of law, philosophy, and international relations together with those who have actively engaged in cases of intervention, in order to examine the legitimacy and consequences of the use of military force for humanitarian purposes. The book demonstrates why humanitarian intervention continues to be a controversial question not only for the United Nations but also for Western states and humanitarian organisations.
Richard Caplan
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- July 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780199263455
- eISBN:
- 9780191602726
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199263450.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, International Relations and Politics
Since the mid-1990s, the United Nations and other multilateral organizations have been entrusted with exceptional authority for the administration of war-torn and strife-ridden territories. In Bosnia ...
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Since the mid-1990s, the United Nations and other multilateral organizations have been entrusted with exceptional authority for the administration of war-torn and strife-ridden territories. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, Eastern Slavonia, Kosovo, and East Timor, these organizations have assumed responsibility for governance to a degree unprecedented in recent history. These initiatives represent some of the boldest experiments in the management and settlement of intra-state conflict ever attempted by third parties. This book is a study of recent experiences in the international administration of war-torn territories. Examines the nature of these operations—their mandates, structures, and powers—and distinguishes them from kindred historical and contemporary experiences of peacekeeping, trusteeship, and military occupation. Analyses and assesses the effectiveness of international administrations and discusses, in thematic fashion, the key operational and political challenges that arise in the context of these experiences. Also reflects on the policy implications of these experiences, recommending reforms or new approaches to the challenge posed by localized anarchy in a global context. Argues that despite many of the problems arising from both the design and implementation of international administrations—some of them very serious—international administrations have generally made a positive contribution to the mitigation of conflict in the territories where they have been established.Less
Since the mid-1990s, the United Nations and other multilateral organizations have been entrusted with exceptional authority for the administration of war-torn and strife-ridden territories. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, Eastern Slavonia, Kosovo, and East Timor, these organizations have assumed responsibility for governance to a degree unprecedented in recent history. These initiatives represent some of the boldest experiments in the management and settlement of intra-state conflict ever attempted by third parties.
This book is a study of recent experiences in the international administration of war-torn territories. Examines the nature of these operations—their mandates, structures, and powers—and distinguishes them from kindred historical and contemporary experiences of peacekeeping, trusteeship, and military occupation. Analyses and assesses the effectiveness of international administrations and discusses, in thematic fashion, the key operational and political challenges that arise in the context of these experiences. Also reflects on the policy implications of these experiences, recommending reforms or new approaches to the challenge posed by localized anarchy in a global context. Argues that despite many of the problems arising from both the design and implementation of international administrations—some of them very serious—international administrations have generally made a positive contribution to the mitigation of conflict in the territories where they have been established.
Maurizio Ferrera
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- February 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780199284665
- eISBN:
- 9780191603273
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199284660.003.0002
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Economy
The chapter surveys the “state-building” literature and discusses, in particular, the works of Stein Rokkan and of Albert Hirschman, highlighting their usefulness for studying welfare state ...
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The chapter surveys the “state-building” literature and discusses, in particular, the works of Stein Rokkan and of Albert Hirschman, highlighting their usefulness for studying welfare state developments. An original analytical framework is proposed for the exploration of spatial politics, based on a combination of “vocality” and “locality” options. The chapter then discusses the emergence and evolution of modern citizenship as a form of spatial closure, and proposes an interpretation of social rights as products of structuring processes.Less
The chapter surveys the “state-building” literature and discusses, in particular, the works of Stein Rokkan and of Albert Hirschman, highlighting their usefulness for studying welfare state developments. An original analytical framework is proposed for the exploration of spatial politics, based on a combination of “vocality” and “locality” options. The chapter then discusses the emergence and evolution of modern citizenship as a form of spatial closure, and proposes an interpretation of social rights as products of structuring processes.
Richard Caplan
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- July 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780199263455
- eISBN:
- 9780191602726
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199263450.003.0009
- Subject:
- Political Science, International Relations and Politics
The extraordinary power available to international authorities raises questions about the effectiveness and appropriateness of seeking to impose outcomes and the implications of these actions for the ...
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The extraordinary power available to international authorities raises questions about the effectiveness and appropriateness of seeking to impose outcomes and the implications of these actions for the development of local political culture and institutions. Examines the opportunities and limitations of rule by decree—with special reference to Bosnia and Herzegovina—and discusses the considerations that ought to govern the exercise of international authority. Observes that the heavy-handed approach to governance may not always be successful: it can generate a popular backlash against transitional administrators and inhibit the development of autonomous political capacity. However, without broad authority international administrators maybe frustrated in their efforts to achieve the aims of their mandates.Less
The extraordinary power available to international authorities raises questions about the effectiveness and appropriateness of seeking to impose outcomes and the implications of these actions for the development of local political culture and institutions. Examines the opportunities and limitations of rule by decree—with special reference to Bosnia and Herzegovina—and discusses the considerations that ought to govern the exercise of international authority. Observes that the heavy-handed approach to governance may not always be successful: it can generate a popular backlash against transitional administrators and inhibit the development of autonomous political capacity. However, without broad authority international administrators maybe frustrated in their efforts to achieve the aims of their mandates.
Ali Gheissari and Vali Nasr
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- May 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195189674
- eISBN:
- 9780199784134
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195189671.003.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Democratization
This introductory chapter begins with a brief discussion of Iran's experiences in state-building. It then discusses the prospects of democracy in Iran, Iranian history in the 20th century, and ...
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This introductory chapter begins with a brief discussion of Iran's experiences in state-building. It then discusses the prospects of democracy in Iran, Iranian history in the 20th century, and theories of state-building and democratization. An overview of the subsequent chapters is presented.Less
This introductory chapter begins with a brief discussion of Iran's experiences in state-building. It then discusses the prospects of democracy in Iran, Iranian history in the 20th century, and theories of state-building and democratization. An overview of the subsequent chapters is presented.
Ali Gheissari and Vali Nasr
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- May 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195189674
- eISBN:
- 9780199784134
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195189671.003.0002
- Subject:
- Political Science, Democratization
This chapter discusses the Constitutional Revolution of 1906-1911 and subsequent efforts to balance the demand for a viable state with the demand for democracy and rule of law. It then traces the ...
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This chapter discusses the Constitutional Revolution of 1906-1911 and subsequent efforts to balance the demand for a viable state with the demand for democracy and rule of law. It then traces the rise and triumph of the Iranian state under Reza Shah between 1925 and 1941.Less
This chapter discusses the Constitutional Revolution of 1906-1911 and subsequent efforts to balance the demand for a viable state with the demand for democracy and rule of law. It then traces the rise and triumph of the Iranian state under Reza Shah between 1925 and 1941.
Ali Gheissari and Vali Nasr
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- May 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195189674
- eISBN:
- 9780199784134
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195189671.003.0003
- Subject:
- Political Science, Democratization
This chapter focuses on the state formation between 1941 and 1979. It examines key events and actors that determined the balance of power between state and society, development and opposition to it, ...
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This chapter focuses on the state formation between 1941 and 1979. It examines key events and actors that determined the balance of power between state and society, development and opposition to it, and the eventual concentration of power in the Pahlavi state between 1954 and 1979. The evolution of various ideologies and their effects on Iranian politics is also discussed.Less
This chapter focuses on the state formation between 1941 and 1979. It examines key events and actors that determined the balance of power between state and society, development and opposition to it, and the eventual concentration of power in the Pahlavi state between 1954 and 1979. The evolution of various ideologies and their effects on Iranian politics is also discussed.
Ali Gheissari and Vali Nasr
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- May 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195189674
- eISBN:
- 9780199784134
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195189671.003.0004
- Subject:
- Political Science, Democratization
This chapter examines the unfolding of the 1979 revolution and its effects on the Iranian state, society, economy, and the context for state-building and democracy promotion. It focuses on the ...
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This chapter examines the unfolding of the 1979 revolution and its effects on the Iranian state, society, economy, and the context for state-building and democracy promotion. It focuses on the transformative effects of the revolution on conceptions of the state and also the nature of demands before it.Less
This chapter examines the unfolding of the 1979 revolution and its effects on the Iranian state, society, economy, and the context for state-building and democracy promotion. It focuses on the transformative effects of the revolution on conceptions of the state and also the nature of demands before it.
Ali Gheissari and Vali Nasr
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- May 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195189674
- eISBN:
- 9780199784134
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195189671.003.0005
- Subject:
- Political Science, Democratization
This chapter examines the shift from revolution to state-building and details how socioeconomic challenges, on the one hand, and memories of state and intellectual capital produced by the Pahlavi ...
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This chapter examines the shift from revolution to state-building and details how socioeconomic challenges, on the one hand, and memories of state and intellectual capital produced by the Pahlavi period, on the other, coalesced to shape the postrevolutionary state. Topics covered include successors to Khomeini, consolidation of new order, contending with socioeconomic challenges, social consequences of economic changes, and privatization and private sector growth.Less
This chapter examines the shift from revolution to state-building and details how socioeconomic challenges, on the one hand, and memories of state and intellectual capital produced by the Pahlavi period, on the other, coalesced to shape the postrevolutionary state. Topics covered include successors to Khomeini, consolidation of new order, contending with socioeconomic challenges, social consequences of economic changes, and privatization and private sector growth.
Ali Gheissari and Vali Nasr
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- May 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195189674
- eISBN:
- 9780199784134
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195189671.003.0006
- Subject:
- Political Science, Democratization
This chapter examines the way in which state-building reignited the demand for democracy — producing a vibrant debate over balancing state-building and democracy promotion, and raising the prospects ...
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This chapter examines the way in which state-building reignited the demand for democracy — producing a vibrant debate over balancing state-building and democracy promotion, and raising the prospects for a democratic state in Iran. Topics covered include the 1997 presidential elections, Khatami's reform program, and the emergence of a new conservatism.Less
This chapter examines the way in which state-building reignited the demand for democracy — producing a vibrant debate over balancing state-building and democracy promotion, and raising the prospects for a democratic state in Iran. Topics covered include the 1997 presidential elections, Khatami's reform program, and the emergence of a new conservatism.
Ali Gheissari and Vali Nasr
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- May 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195189674
- eISBN:
- 9780199784134
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195189671.003.0007
- Subject:
- Political Science, Democratization
This chapter focuses on Iran's prospects for a democratic state. It is argued that the context for the democracy debate in Iran and the drive for democracy's realization have been strengthened by ...
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This chapter focuses on Iran's prospects for a democratic state. It is argued that the context for the democracy debate in Iran and the drive for democracy's realization have been strengthened by demographic changes; decentralization of authority in the form of increased importance of municipal and provincial constituencies; and the decade-long experience with civil society activism, voting, and mobilization of the population during electoral campaigns. However, Iranian politics has not as yet removed the main obstacles to democratization and state-building and the quest for social and individual freedoms have not converged in a linear process of political change. In the absence of a framework that would bind democracy to state-building, the goals of the latter have impeded the development of the former. The struggle between the two will shape state and society and will determine the pace and direction of Iran's progress toward the goal of a democratic state.Less
This chapter focuses on Iran's prospects for a democratic state. It is argued that the context for the democracy debate in Iran and the drive for democracy's realization have been strengthened by demographic changes; decentralization of authority in the form of increased importance of municipal and provincial constituencies; and the decade-long experience with civil society activism, voting, and mobilization of the population during electoral campaigns. However, Iranian politics has not as yet removed the main obstacles to democratization and state-building and the quest for social and individual freedoms have not converged in a linear process of political change. In the absence of a framework that would bind democracy to state-building, the goals of the latter have impeded the development of the former. The struggle between the two will shape state and society and will determine the pace and direction of Iran's progress toward the goal of a democratic state.
Leslie Holmes
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- February 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780199276141
- eISBN:
- 9780191603341
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199276145.003.0005
- Subject:
- Political Science, Russian Politics
This chapter examines recent developments in Russian leadership politics within the context of post-Communist leadership and state-building. It argues that those who hoped Putin would turn Russia ...
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This chapter examines recent developments in Russian leadership politics within the context of post-Communist leadership and state-building. It argues that those who hoped Putin would turn Russia into a strong state underestimated the scale of the task, while those who believed that Putin was inherently authoritarian underestimated the need for strong leadership in Russia. A customized, relativistic, and dynamic approach to Russia’s transition is needed, rather than one based on Western ideals, expectations, and conditions.Less
This chapter examines recent developments in Russian leadership politics within the context of post-Communist leadership and state-building. It argues that those who hoped Putin would turn Russia into a strong state underestimated the scale of the task, while those who believed that Putin was inherently authoritarian underestimated the need for strong leadership in Russia. A customized, relativistic, and dynamic approach to Russia’s transition is needed, rather than one based on Western ideals, expectations, and conditions.
Sergio Fabbrini
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- May 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199235612
- eISBN:
- 9780191715686
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199235612.003.0002
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics
This chapter reconstructs the European and American patterns of state, nation, and democracy building to show the different authority structures that emerged in the 19th century — and thus the ...
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This chapter reconstructs the European and American patterns of state, nation, and democracy building to show the different authority structures that emerged in the 19th century — and thus the institutionalization of different modalities of partisan politics in the 20th century. The different processes of political development in Europe and America has brought into being two distinct political orders on the two shores of the Atlantic. In the European nation-states the political order was constructed around the experience and the idea of the state. In both early state-builders and late state-builders, the state has become the natural container of the nation. In America, on the other hand, nationality has been the product of the democratic process, not its precondition. Nation and democracy went together, the one defining the other. It was the democratic process which defined the boundaries of the nation.Less
This chapter reconstructs the European and American patterns of state, nation, and democracy building to show the different authority structures that emerged in the 19th century — and thus the institutionalization of different modalities of partisan politics in the 20th century. The different processes of political development in Europe and America has brought into being two distinct political orders on the two shores of the Atlantic. In the European nation-states the political order was constructed around the experience and the idea of the state. In both early state-builders and late state-builders, the state has become the natural container of the nation. In America, on the other hand, nationality has been the product of the democratic process, not its precondition. Nation and democracy went together, the one defining the other. It was the democratic process which defined the boundaries of the nation.
David A. Lake
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- May 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780197265901
- eISBN:
- 9780191772047
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197265901.003.0009
- Subject:
- Political Science, International Relations and Politics
The Pax Americana has produced remarkable political order in Europe and Northeast Asia. For decades, the US has sought to expand this international order into the Middle East. This effort, however, ...
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The Pax Americana has produced remarkable political order in Europe and Northeast Asia. For decades, the US has sought to expand this international order into the Middle East. This effort, however, has sparked a backlash against the US, globalisation, and Westernisation. With state elites now largely co-opted into the Pax Americana, opposition takes the form of ‘private’, non-state actors using terrorist methods. The US response to the global insurgency has included counterterrorism and regime change, but state-building has become the dominant strategy. The core problem in state-building, however, is that though the US and its allies seek legitimacy for the states they build, they also aim to appoint local leaders willing to cooperate in the global war on terror and other elements of the Pax Americana. These ‘loyal’ leaders can govern only autocratically in ways that foment further opposition. State-building as counterinsurgency strategy is counter-productive. The first section of this chapter explains the spread of the Pax Americana; the second briefly describes the reaction to this expansion, focusing on the current global insurgency; the third probes the counter-reaction, highlighting the role of state-building; the Conclusion argues that given a choice between expansion or retrenchment, the US should lean towards the latter.Less
The Pax Americana has produced remarkable political order in Europe and Northeast Asia. For decades, the US has sought to expand this international order into the Middle East. This effort, however, has sparked a backlash against the US, globalisation, and Westernisation. With state elites now largely co-opted into the Pax Americana, opposition takes the form of ‘private’, non-state actors using terrorist methods. The US response to the global insurgency has included counterterrorism and regime change, but state-building has become the dominant strategy. The core problem in state-building, however, is that though the US and its allies seek legitimacy for the states they build, they also aim to appoint local leaders willing to cooperate in the global war on terror and other elements of the Pax Americana. These ‘loyal’ leaders can govern only autocratically in ways that foment further opposition. State-building as counterinsurgency strategy is counter-productive. The first section of this chapter explains the spread of the Pax Americana; the second briefly describes the reaction to this expansion, focusing on the current global insurgency; the third probes the counter-reaction, highlighting the role of state-building; the Conclusion argues that given a choice between expansion or retrenchment, the US should lean towards the latter.
Arthur C. Helton
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199250318
- eISBN:
- 9780191599477
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199250316.003.0004
- Subject:
- Political Science, International Relations and Politics
The delivery of humanitarian assistance in the midst of armed conflict, the creation of putative safe areas, and arrangements for temporary relocation and stays abroad were policy innovations tested ...
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The delivery of humanitarian assistance in the midst of armed conflict, the creation of putative safe areas, and arrangements for temporary relocation and stays abroad were policy innovations tested in the case of the former Yugoslavia over the past decade. While increasingly prevalent, ‘state building’ in connection with the return and reintegration of refugees resulted in uneven outcomes over the past decade. Despite the mixed outcomes, the international community is likely to resort to such approaches in the future. Recent experience, however, teaches that expectations relating to state building should be modest. But the UN system and other international organizations must strengthen their capacities to meet even modest expectations.Less
The delivery of humanitarian assistance in the midst of armed conflict, the creation of putative safe areas, and arrangements for temporary relocation and stays abroad were policy innovations tested in the case of the former Yugoslavia over the past decade. While increasingly prevalent, ‘state building’ in connection with the return and reintegration of refugees resulted in uneven outcomes over the past decade. Despite the mixed outcomes, the international community is likely to resort to such approaches in the future. Recent experience, however, teaches that expectations relating to state building should be modest. But the UN system and other international organizations must strengthen their capacities to meet even modest expectations.
